Permanent magnetic power cell circuit for treating fluids to control mineral scale and scale-induced corrosion in pipes and fluid flow systems

Abstract

For better efficiency in removing scale and deposits in pipes, a high gauss permanent magnet unit, requiring no servicing or external power, mounts on the exterior surface of the pipes for establishing a flux path encompassing a greater portion of the flow path than heretofore feasible. Even more effectiveness results from mounting units in diametrically opposed pairs. The units have a pair of alnico magnetic plates straddling an arc on the pipe surface to focus the magnetic flux into a preferred pattern into the fluid flow path. By blending two permanent magnetic circuit paths from different permanent magnetic materials offering different advantages, a multi-pole, multi-axial magnetic flux generator uniquely distributes and concentrates the magnetic forces for maximum de-scaling effect. Standard units fit different diameter pipes, provide very high fluid treatment flux concentrations over a wide range of pipe cross section area and have long life in the presence of magnetic interference or electrical shock.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a dynamic magnetic fluid flow treatment system for controlling scale and deposits having a set of permanent magnetic cells for surrounding a cylindrical pipe defining a fluid flow passageway, wherein the permanent magnetic cells comprise in combination: a cylindrical pipe having a longitudinal axis;   a pair of parallel spaced apart longitudinally disposed alnico permanet magnet plate members polarized in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pipe;   ceramic ferrite permanent magnets positioned respectively near the N and S poles of and between the alnico plate members to extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said pipe, the ferrite permanent magnets being polarized in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said pipe; and;   a low reluctance not permanently magnetizable magnetic circuit plate member disposed substantially parallel to said pipe spanning the two alnico plate members and disposed longitudinally over the length of the alnico magnet members and adjacent a N pole of the ferrite permanent magnets;   all magnets and the magnetizable plate member being assembled as a single unit with the two alnico plate members providing a pair of extending legs straddling an arc on said cylindrical pipe and respectively abutting the pipe along their length to induce inside the pipe a generally longitudinally oriented magnetic flux pattern encompassing substantially a sectorial area through which fluid flows.   
     
     
       2. The treatment system of claim 1 further comprising, a set of said units disposed about said pipe in diametrically opposed pairs. 
     
     
       3. The treatment system of claim 1 further comprising a set of two said cells longitudinally disposed along said pipe having a common single said low reluctance plate disposed along the length of the two units. 
     
     
       4. A magnetic unit for magnetic treatment of scale and sediment in a fluid flow pipe comprising in combination: a pipe having a longitudinal axis, a pair of spaced apart parallel permanent magnet plates packaged to be located as a unit to dispose the plates substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pipe and in contact therewith to straddle an arc on the exterior of the pipe with said magnet plates being polarized in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe to direct a longitudinally disposed magnetic flux pattern extending between the two parallel plates into the pipe to produce a flux pattern in a substantially sector shaped cross section of area within the pipe; said magnets formed substantially as two parallel rectangular plates with a low reluctance non permanent magnetic plate disposed along the pipe and bridging the permanent magnet plates at a position radially external to the pipe surface with the magnetic plates extending therefrom as legs directed toward an outer surface of the pipe to straddle said arc; and,   a further pair of permanent magnet ceramic ferrite blocks disposed at opposite poles of and between the rectangular plates and in contact with the low reluctance plate and polarized in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said pipe with the S poles directed toward the pipe.   
     
     
       5. The magnetic unit of claim 4 wherein the rectangular plate magnets and the permanent magnet blocks constitute respectively alnico and ceramic ferrite magnetic materials. 
     
     
       6. The magnetic unit of claim 5 wherein the rectangular plate magnets are alnico having a high residual gauss in the order of 12,000 and the ceramic ferrite blocks have a residual gauss in the order of 4000 and the property of long time retentivity of its maximum gauss under varying conditions of time, magnetic influence and physical shock.